Chilling device



.May 14, 1935. Cs. T. WALTER CHILLING DEVICE Filed Aug. 10, 1933 Z Walter INVENTOR. AT%

w m W l 1 N N s 5 W I v E N p T b v 91 W ['karies BY ORNEY.

Patented May 14, 1935 fUN-lTED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHILLING DEVICE Application August 10, 1933, Serial No 684,532

7 Claims.

The invention relates to a chilling device. The object of thepresent invention is to improve the construction of chilling devices and to provide a simple, practical andeificient chilling apparatus of great strength and durability adapt-' ed to effect an extremely rapid chilling of a liquid by bringing the individual particles of the liquid into direct contact with a chilling surface, and thereby bring about a super-cooling of the liquid.

A-further object of the invention is to provide a chilling device of this character in which the liquid to be chilled will be spread out into a thin film between relatively movable cooling elements having a capillary space between them for the passage of the liquid in film form, and adapted to grind the film between them and thereby approach nearer to individual molecular chilling than with chilling devices heretofore constructed. ,Another object of the invention is to provide v a chilling device in which it will be impossible for the liquid to pass through the same without every particle thereof being subjected to the direct cooling action ofrefrigerating surfaces in contradistinction to the devices heretofore constructed which permit the flow of quantities of material through the device for indirect refrigeration by contact with other particles of fluid which have come in contact with the chilling surfaces.

Another object of the invention is to provide a chilling device adapted to eliminate the necessity of employing carefully fitted scrapers and the like, and which will have no mechanical parts to wear, except the bearings, which may easily be designed for long life.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the claims hereto appended, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:-

The figure of the drawing is a longitudinal sectional view partly in elevation of a chilling device constructed in accordance with this invention.

In the accompanying drawingin which is illustrated one embodiment of the invention, I designates an outer cylindrical shell constituting an exterior cooling element and having its inner face 2 machined to form a longitudinally straight cylindrical chilling surface. The cylindrical shell is provided at its ends with outwardly extending annular flanges 3 to which .are bolted circular heads 4 which with the cylindrical shell form the casing of thechilling device. The circular heads are provided at their centers with tubular hub extensions 5. The heads are machined and are provided with bushings 6 and have fluid sealing rings 1 fitted in annular recesses 8 in the inner faces of the heads at the centers thereof.

The chilling device is provided at one end with a thrust bearing 9 consisting preferably of a ball bearing and composed of an annular series of anti-friction balls l0 and rings H having ball recesses in their opposed faces for the reception of the balls "I. The thrust bearing is arranged to take thethrust of an inner rotary cooling element I 2 which cooperates with the cylindrical shell which constitutes an outer cooling element. The rotary cooling element which is arranged 20 concentric with the cylindrical shell is spaced therefrom a distance of from .005 to .010 of an inch to form a capillary space I3 between the inner and outer relatively movable cooling elements for spreading or distributing the liquid to be cooled into a thin film which is forced through the capillary space by the pressure of the liquid.

The capillary space causes a drop in the pressure which results in an end thrust of the inner rotary cooling element which thrust is taken up by the thrust bearing. The liquid is introduced into the cylindrical shell through an inlet pipe M which extends from any suitable source of sup- D13 and pressure producing means and which has its discharge end l5 mounted in an opening in one of the heads 4 of the cylindrical shell. An outlet pipe l6 which has one end i! mounted in an opening in the other head of the cylindrical shell conducts the chilled liquid from the chilling device, the liquid traveling in the direction indicated by the arrows in the drawing. The inner rotary cooling element terminates short of the heads 4 to provide clearance spaces l8 which may be of any desired size and the size ofthe clearance spaces may be increased to provide ample space for agitators should it be desired to equip the cooling device with means for mixing, agitating or beating the liquid, and-agitating means can be readily mounted on hollow shafts I9 and of the inner rotary cooling element. V

The outer cylindrical shell is provided with a cylindrical jacket 2| having inlet and outlet pipes 22 and 23 and adapted to permit the circulation -of a refrigerant around the cylindrical shell, the refrigerant circulating in the direction of the tact with one of the chilling surfaces.

arrows indicated in the drawing. The jacket 2| which is spaced from the cylindrical shell between its ends to provide an annular refrigerant space around the cylindrical shell, extends substantially the length of the inner rotary cooling element and the annular refrigerant space 24- formed by the jacket may be of any desired dimensions, as will be readily understood, to provide an apparatus of the desired capacity.

The inner rotary cooling element l2 consists of a hollow cylinder forming an interior refrigerant chamber 25 and having its outer face 26 machined to form a longitudinally straight cylindrical chilling surface. The inner rotary cooling element is supported by the hollow shafts l9 and 20 to which inlet and outlet pipes 21 and 28 are connected by suitable stuffing boxes 29 and 30" and the refrigerant circulates through the inner rotary cooling element in the direction indicated by the arrows in the drawing. The inner cooling element is rotated by means of a gear wheel 3| mounted on the hollow shaft I9 and any suitable means may be provided for driving the rotary cooling element. The hollow shaft 20 of the rotary cylinder .is provided with an enlargement 32 which forms a shoulder for abutting the thrust bearing and the tubular extension of the adjacent head 4 of the cylinder is provided with an enlargement 33 to form an interior tocess II to accommodate the thrust bearing 9.

The fluid to be chilled enters the chilling device through the inlet pipe i4 and is discharged through the outlet pipe l6. Because of the fact that there is a pressure drop in the fluid passing through the device along the capillary space i3 there will be a thrust load on the rotary cooling element in the direction of the flow. This thrust is taken by the bearing 9. The device may be de signed to avoid this end thrust by introducing the fluid to be chilled at both ends of the rotor under uniform pressures at both ends and permitting it to flow from both ends of the device towards the center and discharge through a central passage.

The rotor or rotary cooling element will be turned at a fairly high speed and the fluid to be chilled will be pumped under pressure through the pipe I4. Upon entering the chilling chamber each definite quantity of fluid will be positively spread into an extremely thin film, the thickness of which will be determined by the dimensions of the capillary space l3. Due to the relative motion between the refrigerating surfaces of the inner and outer cooling elements this thin film will be constantly ground or torn apart so that there is a close approach to the condition where each molecule of the liquid is brought into con- Because of the fact that both sides of the film are in contact with the chilling surfaces a very rapid chilling of the film will result. Any tendency of the fluid to freeze to either of the cooling surfaces will be counteracted due to therapid relative movement of these surfaces so that regardless of any tendency to freeze in the capillary space there will be a shearing action of the film between the two moving surfaces and the freezing mass sheared along some line either in contact with one or the other surface or within its own mass. Because of the thinness of the film the location of the line of shearing is unimportant.

The path of travel of the individual particles of the film through the cooling device is helical due to a result of their combined circular and axial movement through the capillary space and this helical path of travel may be very long in terms of linear measure.

The length of travel will depend on the rate of rotation of the rotary cooling element and the axial speed of translation which will be determined by the pressure drop through the device. No matter which cooling element the individual particles of the film of material tend to adhere to they will always have the same relative motion to both of the chilling surfaces. If a further mixing, agitating or beating factor is desired, this may be obtained in the same unit by increasing the length of either of the clearance spaces l8 and applying agitating, elements on the hollow shafts "and Ill.

The advantages of the chilling device will be apparent. It effects an extremely rapid chilling of the individual particles of the liquid to be cooled and brings about a phenomena of super-cooling.

Each small elementary quantity of fluid will be broken up or spread into a thin film and because of this fact no such quantities of material can pass through the chilling device without being subjected to the direct cooling action of the refrigerating surfaces constituting the walls of the capillary space. This is not the case with devices which permit the flow of quantities of material through them and wherein the liquid is indirectly refrigerated by contact with other particles of the liquid which have come in contact with the chilling surfaces.

Because of the fact that refrigeration is applied from the interior and exterior of the device the -.latter is mechanically compact and highly efflcient.

What is claimed is:

1. A chilling device including a cylindrical shell constituting an outer cooling element and provided with. a jacket for the circulation of a refrigerant, a hollow rotary cylinder forming a refrigerant chamber and arranged within the said shell concentric with the same and forming an intervening capillary space between it and the shell for the passage of the liquid to be cooled, means for introducing a liquid into the shell at one end thereof and for withdrawing the same at the .cther end of the shell, and a thrust bearing located at the latter end of the shell to receive the thrust of the rotary cylinder resulting from a drop in pressure due to the passage of the liquid through the capillary space.

2. A chilling device comprising a cylindrical shell constituting an outer cooling element and provided at its ends with heads having central tubular extensions, the central tubular extension of one of the heads being enlarged to form an interior annular recess, a thrust bearing mounted in the said recess, a hollow rotary cylinder constituting an inner cooling element and having hollow shafts mounted in the tubular extensions of the said heads, one of the hollow shafts being provided with an enlargement forming a shoulder abutting the thrust bearing, means for introducing a liquid into the shell adjacent the other tral openings, a hollow rotary cylinder arranged within the shell concentric therewith and forming an intervening uninterrupted capillary space between it and the shell extending from one end of the cooling element to the other, saidcylinder having its entire interior forming a refrigerant chamber and provided at its ends'beyond the refrigerant chamber with hollow shafts mounted in the openings of the said heads and forming passages for circulating a refrigerant through the cylinder, means for introducing a liquid under pressure into the capillary space between the cylinder and the shell, and means for rotating the cylinder. a

4. A chilling device including a cylindrical shell constituting an outer cooling element, heads closing the ends of the shell and provided with central openings enlarged at the inner ends to form annular recesses, a hollow rotary cylinder arranged within the shell concentric therewith and forming an intervening uninterrupted capillary space between it and the shell errtending the entire length of the cooling element, said cylinder having its entire interior forming a refrigerant chamber and provided at its ends beyond the refrigerant chamber with hollow shafts mounted in the openings of the heads and forming passages for circulating a refrigerant through the cylinder, fluid sealing rings fitted in the annular recesses of the heads and surrounding the hollow shafts, means for introducing a liquid under pressure into the capillary space between the cylinder and the shell, and

means for rotating the cylinder.

5. A chilling device including. a cylindrical shell constituting an outer cooling element and provided at its ends with exterior annular flanges, heads circumferentially recessed and fitted in 1 and closing the ends of the shell and secured to means for introducing a liquid under pressure the annular; flanges thereof, said heads being i it and the shell, said cylinder being provided at its ends with hollow shafts mounted in the openings of the heads and forming passages for circulating a refrigerant through the cylinder, fluid sealing rings fitted in the annular recesses of the heads and surrounding the hollow shafts,

into the capillary space between the cylinder and the shell, and means for rotating the cylinder.

6. A chilling device including a cylindrical shell constituting an outer cooling element and provided at he ends with exterior annular flanges, heads circumferentially recessed and fitted in and closing the ends of the shell and secured to the annular flanges thereof, said heads being provided with central openings enlarged at their inner ends to provide interior annular recesses, a hollow rotary cylinder arranged within the shell concentric therewith and forming an intervening uninterrupted capillary space between it and the shell, said cylinder being provided at its ends with hollow shafts mounted in the openings of the heads and forming passages for circulating a refrigerant through the cylinder, fluid sealing rings fitted in the annular recesses of the heads and surrounding the hollow shafts, means for introducing a liquid under pressure into the capillary space between the cylinder and the shell, a jacket mounted on the shell exteriorly thereof and located between the said annular flanges and having an inlet and an outlet for circulating a refrigerant around the shell exteriorly thereof, and means for rotating the cylinder.

7. A chilling device comprising a cylindrical shell constituting an outer cooling element and provided at its ends with heads having central tubular extensions, the central tubular extension of one of the heads being enlarged to form an interior annular recess, a thrust bearing mounted in the said recess, a hollow rotary cylinder constituting an inner cooling element and having hollow shafts mounted in the tubular extensions of the said heads, one of the hollow shafts being provided with an enlargement forming a shoulder abutting the thrust bearing, a fluid sealing ring surrounding the said enlargement of the hollow shaft and seated in a recess in the adjacent head of the shell and interposed between the thrust bearing and the interior of the shell, means for introducing a liquid into the shell adiacent the other head, said inner and outer cooling elements forming a capillary space between them for the passage of the liquid and the capillary space being adapted to cause a drop in the pressure of the liquid ly of the rotary cylinder, and means for circulating a refrigerant exteriorly of the said shell.

' CHARLES 'r. wnrlrm. 

